If Franklin and other counties want to see any funding from a possible statewide tax, they will have to consolidate, state Sen. John Griesheimer, R-Washington, said. Meanwhile some counties, such as St. Louis County, large enough to balance their own emergency 911 budgets, could continue to operate all their public safety answering points, or PSAPs, and would therefore not receive state funding, he said. "If counties do or do not want the funds, they have to decide what they want to do. If they want to continue like they are, that's fine," Griesheimer told The Missourian in a telephone interview Thursday evening. "But then don't complain about not getting funding."
Griesheimer said he felt the recommendations of fellow state Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, were "unrealistic."
Crowell proposed a total of five PSAPs in the entire state and has said he would fight any E911 funding until major consolidation occurs.
"He is highly unreasonable in his request," Griesheimer said. "I feel like he was trying to be the 'bad cop' and throw out a number that would shock everybody."
Crowell's comments seem to have shocked Franklin County emergency management directors, city leaders and county officials.
A group of them met Tuesday morning, speaking out against Crowell's plan.
Griesheimer said he supported consolidation, though not to the same extreme.
"St. Louis County is going to need more than one (PSAP), so I think Crowell's idea is unrealistic and unworkable. However, some of these other smaller counties that have two, three or four (PSAPs), that's also unrealistic," he said.
Crowell said last week he would force counties to consolidate.
Griesheimer said counties could chose not to consolidate and simply wouldn't receive state funding.
Both the state Senate and House agreed that no funding would come about until consolidation occurs.
Griesheimer read a statement from the Senate and state Rep. Mark Bruns, R-Jefferson City, read a similar opinion from the House at a Feb. 5 meeting of county officials from throughout the state.
Griesheimer is sponsoring a bill which would place a 25-cent surcharge on monthly cell phone bills.
The surcharge would be used to fund 911 systems throughout the state.
Currently, emergency 911 systems are funded by a tax on landline phones, the rate of which varies by county.
In Franklin County, the tax rate is 10 percent. In St. Louis County, it is 1 percent.
Regardless of the percentage of the tax, the system has been called both unfair and inadequate by county officials.
Between 70 and 80 percent of the county's, and the state's, 911 calls come from cell phones. At the same time, more people have only a cell phone and no landline phone in their homes, meaning they do not pay anything for 911 service.
These issues are why Griesheimer, Crowell and other members of the state Legislature are considering a new funding mechanism.
In years past, voters have turned down a 50-cent cell phone 911 tax. Griesheimer hopes the consolidation combined with the lower fee will help.
"One way or another, we're going to force (consolidation) by legislation or (counties) are just not going to get the money," Griesheimer said.
"If you want to be on your own, fine, you can have your dispatching centers and all that, but don't complain if you're not getting state funding, it's not going to happen. There just isn't enough state funding to go around," he said.
The current bill, Senate Bill 119, would require counties who want to receive funding to consolidate to certain levels.
First- and second- class counties could have two PSAPs. Third- and fourth- class counties could only have one. Charter counties could have three.
Franklin County is a first-class county, meaning it would have to close two of its existing four PSAPs.
If county voters decide to accept a home-rule constitution which will be on the ballot in April, it would be allowed to have three.
Griesheimer said various state departments and offices, including the department of health and senior services and the office of public safety, all are interested in seeing a resolution to the problem.
"I don't know what the answer is, but I think it is going to take two years to work through this, to come up with a plan and submit it to a vote of the people," he said.
Griesheimer said he hopes to see the problem resolved before the end of his second term in 2010. |
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